City tenting isn’t for everybody, but when your tenting adventures take you to Washington D.C., it’s best to take your RV alongside, as one of many nation’s greatest campgrounds supplies an ideal base camp for exploring town. Cherry Hill Park, situated in Faculty Park, Maryland, provides an impressive tenting expertise and easy accessibility to the nation’s capital.
Whereas my household had a prolonged debate whereas selecting our summer time highway journey vacation spot, as soon as we chosen Washington, D.C., we didn’t have a tough time selecting a spot to remain. Cherry Hill Park is a famend tenting vacation spot that guests brag on far and huge. We have been wanting to camp at a park we had already heard a lot about.
Photograph: Kerri Cox
When tenting, my household (which incorporates my husband and two younger grownup sons) has three essential necessities: electrical energy, cell service and a protected, clear atmosphere. Past these, our favourite campgrounds have run the gamut from rustic state parks to over-the-top resorts, as we simply discover issues to get pleasure from about every. Our purpose is consistently to seek out methods modify our expectations for the kind of park we’re visiting.
After a fast examine on the Good Sam web site, it was clear that Cherry Hill Park ought to simply meet our preliminary necessities — and extra with excessive Good Sam rankings on all facets. However wouldn’t it stay as much as our expectations in individual?
Cherry Hill Park Campground Vibe
Upon pulling into Cherry Hill Park, it was clear from the beginning that this park goals to impress. The check-in course of was simple, the campground retailer was chock stuffed with enjoyable stuff, and all the things was vibrant and clear. If I needed to choose one phrase for my first impression, it could be “tidy.”
Photograph: Kerri Cox
Going deeper into the park whereas heading to our spot, we observed how massive the park is; nevertheless, regardless of its dimension, the websites are largely well-spaced. Due to a mixture of curves within the highway, plentiful bushes, and colourful landscaping, the websites felt cozy and distinctive, in contrast to the cookie-cutter, sterile websites discovered at some giant resorts.
Cherry Hill’s environment jogged my memory of my childhood, rising up in a Seventies suburban subdivision, the place the children performed in one another’s yards till the road lights flickered on at nightfall. Within the campground, I noticed youngsters swinging within the playgrounds, dashing by way of sprinklers on the splash pad, and biking the loops with siblings and buddies, as adults lounged round campfires.
Even with D.C. a brief drive away, it’s clear this can be a campground the place households can spend time collectively. Whereas the handy proximity to town and family-friendly atmosphere are plusses, they are often drawbacks to some vacationers. Cherry Hill Park is situated simply off some main roadways, so one can find some highway noise. It is usually a busy park, with numerous visitors.
In case you are searching for solitude and silence, this most likely isn’t the park for you. Nevertheless, my household frolicked outdoors, gathered round a campfire with buddies we had serendipitously ran into on the park. We didn’t discover the noise or exercise bothersome for our tastes. The bustle was simply what we have been anticipating at this family-friendly campground.
Campsites at Cherry Hill Park
Cherry Hill Park provides a mixture of RV and tent websites, cabins, and glamping lodging. RVers will discover full hookup websites, together with back-in and pull-through choices. Premium websites embrace a charcoal grill, a brick patio, further desk and chairs, and handy areas within the park.
Photograph: Kerri Cox
If house and privateness are necessary to you, name forward to see what websites are advisable, as some are smaller and tighter than others. Some are additionally situated close to busy facilities, which generally is a plus if you wish to stroll to them along with your youngsters or a downside in the event you want much less visitors. With a lot selection within the campground, it’s greatest to speak to a park worker to seek out the appropriate location for you.
We opted for a back-in premium web site on the sting of the park, figuring this may be a quieter, semi-private location. We appreciated the coral daylilies blooming alongside our terrace. Behind us, dense bushes supplied a style of nature, and we may simply hop on one of many park’s trails. Our campsite was fairly charming.
Amenities & Facilities
Cherry Hill Park is chock stuffed with facilities. Whereas many are objects that may be discovered at resort-level campgrounds throughout the nation, what makes this park particularly distinctive is the way it caters to D.C. vacationers in a number of methods.
Jefferson Memorial in spring. Photograph: Kerri Cox
Cherry Hill Park goals to make it simple to get probably the most out of your D.C. go to. The campground provides info classes that present suggestions and methods for navigating town and its many points of interest. We determined to take the Metro into town from the close by Faculty Park station.
Cherry Hill Park additionally operates its personal specific bus, which drops riders off close to D.C. points of interest within the morning and supplies return transportation within the night. Or, you’ll be able to take one of many campground’s guided excursions, with a wide range of sightseeing excursions provided seasonally.
Photograph: Kerri Cox
Whilst you would possibly spend a variety of time in D.C. whereas staying at Cherry Hill Park, it’s advisable to additionally plan some downtime within the park. Children will admire the assorted swimming pools, playgrounds, splash pad, sport room, tractor rides, and miniature golf course. Teenagers and adults can benefit from the health areas, strolling trails, canine runs, golf cart leases, and onsite cafe (which even provides on-line ordering and campsite supply). Critically, the record goes on and on!
Photograph: Kerri Cox
My household was not solely impressed with the breadth of the facilities and actions, we have been additionally impressed with the standard. Every little thing is well-maintained and thoughtfully deliberate. We additionally discovered the customer support to be top-notch. This degree of care and consideration is what makes Cherry Hill earn these good evaluations that reached our ears lengthy earlier than we started researching our journey plans.
The Backside Line
Cherry Hill Park clearly caters to D.C. vacationers, however this campground is a vacation spot in its personal proper, particularly for households. This park deserves a go to, whether or not you might be touring the capital metropolis or not.